Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-18

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You would like to reduce your working hours in order to study part time.

Write a letter to your boss. In your letter

• explain why you want to reduce your working hours
• say which hours you would like to work
• describe how your part-time studies would benefit your employer

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I am writing to request a reduction in my working hours, as I am planning to enroll in a part-time course effective August 20, 2026.

Based on this, I would like to work on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., I understand that during weekends, the company has less work to do. However, I am willing to work on the upcoming projects to support company's daily operations.

Upon completion of this program, I will be able to support the company's Human resources department not only in streamlining the hiring process but also by providing a valuable information about candidates. Additionally, I heard that our current payroll system often gets stuck due to some technical glitches. In this course, I will get training to fix these

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Bharat Kumar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (enrolling in a course), specify the desired hours (weekends), and describe the benefits to the employer (HR streamlining and payroll technical support). However, the response ends abruptly mid-sentence ('In this course, I will get training to fix these'), which leaves the final point incomplete and impacts the overall development of ideas. To reach a higher band, ensure all points are fully concluded and that the tone remains consistently professional throughout the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, and the progression of ideas is generally clear. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally' and 'However' to link your thoughts. However, the abrupt ending of the final paragraph significantly disrupts the flow and coherence of the text. Furthermore, the transition between the request for hours and the offer to work on projects is slightly disjointed. Improving the use of linking phrases and ensuring that every paragraph has a clear, complete conclusion would enhance the overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'streamlining', 'technical glitches', and 'enroll'. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'providing a valuable information' (should be 'providing valuable information' as information is uncountable) and 'company's daily operations'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message, it lacks the sophistication or precision required for higher bands. Expanding your use of collocations and ensuring correct article usage with uncountable nouns would improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing to request...' and 'Upon completion of this program, I will be able to...'. There are some grammatical errors, such as the comma splice in '...8 a.m. to 4 p.m., I understand...' and the incomplete sentence at the end. Punctuation errors, particularly the misuse of commas, occur occasionally. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your intent, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of sentence boundaries.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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